I'd So Rather Be Reading: July 2010

In My Mailbox (8/1/10)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. Click the title to go to the goodreads summary.

For Review:

Close to His Heart by Leonora Pruner---look for my review and giveaways around August 23rd---I'm going to be on a blog tour for this one.

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown---Ancedotes of a Southern Belle by Oliva deBelle Byrd.

From the Library:

The Passage by Justin Cronin---everyone's talking about this one so I need to see what all the fuss is about.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen---I can't believe I haven't read this one yet.

Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers---I didn't know Rivers had a new book out and I dropped everything to read this one! And the best thing is that it's the first in a duet!

Evernight by Claudia Gray---because I love a good vampire boarding school tale.

Bought:

One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2) by Jeaniene Frost---because the Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) ends with such a cliff-hanger not reading book two is not an option!

Father Mine: Zsadist and Bella's Story by JR Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood #6.5)---I just found out about this novella and immediately downloaded it to my Nook. So exciting!

What's in your mailbox this week?

Book Review: Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene Frost

Summary:

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father--the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner--are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her new found status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

Review:
Thank you, The Book Vixen for recommending this series to me! Halfway to the Grave is the first in the Night Huntress series, starring Cat, a half-vampire, half-human who hunts and kills vampires in her spare time as retribution for the vampire who raped her mother. Cat is tough, cocky and stubborn, with a "take no prisoners" attitude. She reminds me a lot of Rose from Vampire Academy, and also Rachel Morgan from Dead Witch Walking.

The plot was more layered and intense than I was expecting, which was nice, and I liked Bones more than I thought I would. I was looking for another Black Dagger Brotherhood or Rachel Morgan-type series, and that's exactly what I got---the perfect thing to tide me over until next year when the next installments in those two series come out! If you're a fan of Kim Harrison, Vampire Academy, or the Black Dagger Brotherhood, you'll love Halfway to the Grave. If you're offended by drawn out bedroom scenes every 100 pages or so, this one's not for you.

One of the things I really liked about this book was the pacing. Frost alternates between a minute-by-minute telling and jumping days to weeks ahead. That kept the book feeling fresh and unpredictable for me. Now for a warning: DON'T start this one unless you have One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2) in your possession. There's a major cliffhanger ending!

Just One Gripe:
The smaller characters were not well-developed. This kept the book below five stars for me.

The Best Thing About This Book:
I like Cat. I love a strong, independent female lead.

Appropriate for a younger audience:
No

Score:

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 3/5

Setting/Imagery: 4/5

Originality: 3/5

Ending: 3/5

Total Score: 17/25

Book Review: My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent

Summary:

She doesn't see dead people, but…

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…

Review:

Oh yeah! I've found a new author! One of my favorite things about reading is to discover a new author and then compulsively read everything they've written. That's how I operate, and that's what I'll be doing with Rachel Vincent. My Soul to Take was the first Rachel Vincent book I've ever read, and I am very impressed.

I delayed reading this book for a while because I found the cover off-putting...it's kind of demonic, don't you think? I should know better by now than to judge a book by its cover because My Soul to Take was a great read.

The romantic tension, the plot twists, the unexpected story line, the surprising villain, it was all so refreshing and exciting. This book had me from the first chapter, and once I started I just couldn't stop. The story went in a direction I wasn't expecting and I loved it! I'm not going to say more, just that this paranormal YA series is very unique and unexpected.

Just One Gripe:
I needed more love...if you've read this you'll know what I mean. Vincent is so good at describing feelings and emotions that I wanted more.

The Best Thing About This Book:
It is not like every other paranormal YA book out there right now---it's about something totally different.

Appropriate for a younger audience:
Yes

Score:

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Setting/Imagery: 4/5

Originality: 5/5

Ending: 4/5

Total Score: 21/25

Blog Hop (7/30/10)

It's Blog Hop time again! Hats off to Jennifer at Crazy for Books for coming up with the great idea for the Blog Hop!

If you're here for the first time, welcome! And be sure to sign up for our July giveaways, ending 7/31/10. You don't have to be a follower to enter the giveaways.

This week's blog hop twist is: list your favorite new-to-you author so far this year. My favorite author I have discovered this year is Anna Godbersen, who wrote The Luxe, Rumors, Envy, and Splendor. I know The Luxe series is not new but I just found it this year and it is one of my all-time favorites. Historical fiction is my favorite genre. Anna Godbersen has a new series coming out in October, which I'm so excited about!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Linger Book Signing Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie Stiefvater has begun her Linger book tour and kicked it off with a stop at The Woodlands Mall in Houston, Texas and we were there! She is truly a crack-up to listen too.

Abby, Maggie and Natalie

Maggie hard at work

You cannot come to Southeast Texas and leave empty handed, so my wonderful friend Abby met me and made Maggie Shiver Inspired Cake Balls! They are to die for I tell you :) Maggie, the sweets were made from scratch so no preservatives (we forgot to tell you as we giggled like little school girls).

Abby put them in the cute little black tin you see on the table. And you cannot come to our "neck of the woods" and not get an I'd So Rather Be Reading Tee. I think Maggie got a kick out of the shirt. There was one young girl that showed up with a handful of tiny paper cranes, they were so cute! We hate we missed out on a picture :(

Kelli couldn't make the signing because she was sick at home so she stayed behind and had a nice book binge... surprise, surprise :) Well for me personally it was a BATTLE to get to the signing. First my car died at 5:00 am in the morning at the hospital where I work... then the mechanic couldn't get to it... SO, I did what any good book blogger would do... I rented my butt a car, threw my kids in the back and drove 2 hours to The Woodlands (and only got pulled over once for speeding but was given a very nice warning... sheesh). But I did it for all of you because you know good and well I got an extra book signed for a giveaway (in September)!! But it all worked out and I think I laughed about 75% of the day :)

We really had a great time, the Barnes & Noble store was very well set up and everyone was really relaxed and sweet. If you haven't read Shiver or Linger, what are you waiting for? Click here and here for more on the series or you can take a peek at Kelli's reviews of Shiver and Linger.

Thank you Abby for being my partner in crime :)

Versatile Blogger Award

Thank you so much, A Book Obsession, for giving us the Versatile Blogger award!

We have actually received this award twice already, which is such an honor!

Versatile Blogger #1

Versatile Blogger #2

The rules for this award are:

Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
Share 7 things about yourself.
Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)
Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

Here are some new things about us (click the links to read our original 7 things):

From Kelli:

I would pay up to $300 to read The Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6) by Richelle Mead right now, instead of waiting until December.
I get really nervous if I have less than 5 books in my possession that I really want to read.
I have emergency-use-only books that I save to read when I'm home sick from work (Radiant Shadows was my most recent one).

From Natalie:

I would probably sell my first born to read The Last Sacrifice (VA #6) early... top that Kelli...lol... sorry Kendra, you know momma loves you... and vampires :)
Openly admit that I am a Book Snob. Let me explain, you see here at I'd So Rather Be Reading...blah, blah, blah... basically I call Kelli and she tells me what book is going to be "My Next Fling" . She knows exactly what I need :)
I have certain book habits: a) I like hard covers books; b) if I really like a book I buy 3 versions 1 book for myself (no one can touch), a book to lend out known as "the lender" and the audiobook because I love to hear the different voices (The Hunger Games has been my favorite audio to date).

Blogs We're Passing the Award On To:

Good Golly Miss Holly

Wondrous Reads

Larissa's Bookish Life

Aisle B
The Book Buzzer
21 Pages

Those are 15 blogs we love, but we love you all!

Book Review: Mercy Rising: Simple Ways to Practice Justice and Compassion by Amber Robinson

Summary:

The homeless roam the streets.

Entire neighborhoods lack basic nutrition and health care.

Human slavery, Christian persecution, and racial injustices plague home towns and entire countries.

It's not that I don't care; I just don't know what to do, you think.

Images from the media leave us shaking our heads. We want to do something about the hurts of the world, but we aren't sure what steps to take. In Mercy Rising, author Amber Robinson offers the tools women need to make the impact their hearts desire. Filled with helpful hints, inspired insights, and solid biblical wisdom, this organized resource will show you practical ways to find and focus on serving those who suffer.

With clever charm and earnest exploration, Mercy Rising will help even the busiest of women find the right place to spend meaningful moments practicing justice and compassion.

Review:

The summary says it all for me: "It's not that I don't care; I just don't know what to do, you think." When faced with the world's injustices, I've thought this many a time, and it's an excuse I won't be able to use any longer, not after reading Mercy Rising.

Amber Robinson is a child advocate with Compassion International, but she is also a working mother with five children who volunteers in her free time. Mercy Rising sets out specific action plans for the busy woman who wants to help others but doesn't know where to start. The book is organized into sections about why we should give, how to give, and how to fit giving into your busy life. Each chapter starts with an anecdotal story from Robinson's life and includes scripture, stories from other women, and easy steps to follow. There are references in each chapter for organizations (websites and contact information) as well as discussion/reflection questions.

This would be a perfect book to use for a women's Bible study or small group. It is insightful, informative and compelling. It is more of a reference guide than a book you would sit down and read cover to cover in one sitting like a novel.

Just One Gripe:

The constant switching of perspectives left the chapters feeling a little choppy at times.

The Best Thing About This Book:

The resources Robinson lays out for the reader.

Appropriate for a younger audience:

Yes

Score:

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an impartial review.

Book Review: The Thyssen Affair by Mozelle Richardson

Summary:

Canyon Elliot, Colorado rancher and ex-OSS WWII agent is brought back into action by a CIA friend to do a simple investigation in Munich. The problem: nothing is simple. For the first time in his career, Canyon feels like a newcomer. As someone well-known to be on top of his game in the spy business he is befuddled to find himself tracked down and set-up without any inclination of who is behind it all. In this exciting, fast-paced thriller he must go by his wits and not by his jaded experience as he enters the convoluted and twisted world of intrigue with both the Israeli Mossad and the Russian KGB.

Review:

The Thyssen Affair starts off with an ex-operative being called back into duty when a German soldier's skull is dug up from its resting place. No one knows why the skull is so important, but the reader learns that there is a microchip in the tooth that shows a map to hidden treasure.

I can appreciate what Richardson is doing with this book: the microchip embedded in the tooth, the treasure hunt, international intrigue, spies, etc. However, the writing style just wasn't for me and so I didn't finish this one. I didn't like Canyon and just couldn't relate to him. I hate quitting but I did give up on The Thyssen Affair.

Score:

Did Not Finish

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an impartial review.

Waiting on Wednesday (7/28/10)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine. I love this meme because it introduces me to new books. I love finding new things to read!

This week, I'm waiting on Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely #5) by Melissa Marr. Darkest Mercy is set to come out February 22, 2011. Here is the Goodreads summary. I can't wait to find out how Marr ends this series! And isn't this one of the best covers ever? The covers to the Wicked Lovely series are so beautiful.

What are you waiting on this week?

Book Review: Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely #4) by Meliss Marr

Summary:

Hunger for nourishment.
Hunger for touch.
Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.

Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries' coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani's death.

Ani isn't one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin's plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

Review:

Finally! A Melissa Marr book with a conclusive ending! Closure! Yes! Two characters (I'm not saying who) get their happily ever after and I'm so happy...just when I was despairing for the series as a whole.

In the previous books (namely, Ink Exchange) all I could think was, what about Seth and Aislinn? Yeah, yeah, Irial and Leslie, but give me Seth and Aislinn! Then I finally got more from Seth and Aislinn in Fragile Eternity but we got no definitive ending. Well, Seth and Aislinn were conspicuously absent in Radiant Shadows, but for once I didn't mind because I was very into Ani and Devlin's story.

Just One Gripe:

I didn't really get into the book until the last 75 pages. The whole time, up until the very last, I was thinking, "this is going to be another 3 star book," then Melissa Marr went crazy with the plot and it was great!

The Best Thing About This Book:
Melissa Marr stays true to the plot she first laid out in Wicked Lovely. She weaves the plot together with so many layers and so much back story that this does not feel like YA. Her books are smart, and you have to think sometimes to keep up with the different characters and plot twists. I really like that. Marr doesn't follow the typical YA pattern, she does her own thing and that sets her apart from most everyone else.

Appropriate for a younger audience:
Yes

Score:

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Setting/Imagery: 5/5

Originality: 5/5

Ending: 4/5

Total Score: 22/25

Read First:

Last Sacrifice Cover Revealed

Final cover revealed for Last Sacrifice

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

This is the highly anticipated final installment of the Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead. There has been lots of buzz around the internet regarding this cover... about a 50/50 split on those that approve/disapprove of the cover. What do you think?

There is an Official VA Facebook page (supported by Richelle Mead) so become a follower and keep up with the latest details on the VA movie!

Book Review: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Summary:

After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck here in spirit form with no sign of the big, bright light coming to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser/outcast type who hates the social elite. He alone can see and hear her, but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High.

Can they get over their mutual distrust—and this weird attraction between them—to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist?

Review:

I have never liked ghost stories. I have shied away from stories with ghosts in them ever since I read Wait Till Helen Comes as a child and was so scared I couldn't sleep alone for months. Yes, I said months. It was bad...just thinking about it now gets me all freaked out.

Anyway, so when Natalie told me she bought The Ghost and the Goth, and that I was reading it first (since I'm her gateway to five star books and I screen all of her books for her) I said, "Umm, ghosts? You know I don't read about ghosts?" Well, she convinced me to give it a try (the argument that won me over was that the book is about helpful ghosts, not malevolent ones) and no one was more surprised than me when not only did I enjoy the story but I wasn't scared a bit. This was not a horror story. It was a love story with ghosts in it...there is a big difference, and that's why I enjoyed this one instead of running away screaming in fear.

The book starts with Alona's death and her waking up as a ghost. It's been three days and she keeps disappearing, but doesn't know why. She is hanging around the school and starts to cry when she sees her former best friend and boyfriend making out (only one day after her funeral). Will Killian, goth boy whom Alona has never noticed, smirks at her tears, and then Alona realizes Will can see and hear her. Will got his ability to see ghosts from his father and tries to ignore them so that they don't make his life even more miserable than it is with their constant demands. Alona bugs Will enough for him to capitulate to her demands for help and they begin a wary friendship.

This is a sweet story with friendship, some romance, a mystery and an ending that made me want more. It was a compellingly fast read for me. I've learned on Stacey Kade's website that there is a sequel, Queen of the Dead, due out next summer, followed by another sequel, which will make the series into a trilogy.

Just One Gripe:
I wanted more romance!

The Best Thing About This Book:
I loved Kade's explanation for ghosts---she talks about energy, dimensions, and the effects of positive versus negative energy. Alona's disappearance(s) and how they were explained was also very unique. The whole ghost premise was very well thought-out and well-executed.

Appropriate for a younger audience:
Yes

Score:

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Setting/Imagery: 4/5

Originality: 4/5

Ending: 4/5

Total Score: 20/25

Book Review: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millenium #3) by Stieg Larsson

Summary:

A young girl lies in a hospital room, her tattooed body very close to death -- there is a bullet lodged in her brain. Several rooms away is the man who tried to kill her, his own body grievously wounded from axe blows inflicted by the girl he has tried to kill. She is Lisbeth Salander, computer hacker and investigator, and the man is her father, a murderous Russian gangster. If Salander recovers from her injuries, she is more than likely to be put on trial for three murders -- the authorities regard her as a dangerous individual. But she won't see the inside of a courtroom if her father manages to kill her first.

Review:

I loved The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo so much and was disappointed that The Girl Who Played With Fire was not as compelling. I had high hopes that the final installment in the series would make up for the deficits of book two. While The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest was definitely better than The Girl Who Played With Fire, it didn't reach the same level of excellence that The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo did for me.

I can appreciate that the people of Sweden were totally floored by this series. The books go into politics, history, police corruption, international terror, crime, and pull events in Sweden's history into the plot that makes you believe the stories are true. I can see how Sweden went crazy for Stieg Larsson. But that emphasis on Sweden and the political slant of this series is what made it hard to get through for me. I had a hard time putting the events of the The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest into perspective, especially when Larsson references events in Sweden's history that I have no concept of. He includes an appendix but I found flipping back and forth to be really tedious.

There were times when I wanted to give up on this book, and almost did except for the fact that I've spent so much time on this series and I had to know how it would end. The events of the last 100 pages saved the book for me. The way Larsson wraps up the story, pulling all of the dozens of characters' stories together for a thrilling conclusion, is rivaled only by Ken Follett, in my opinion.

I would recommend this series to fans of crime fiction. People wanting a love story or a light summer read will be wholly disappointed.

Just One Gripe:

The book is pretty dry at times. Sometimes we would go for 100 pages without anything of note happening. Stieg Larsson doesn't just tell you that a character goes into brain surgery, he tells you exactly what the surgeon does in great detail during the surgery. This is why his books are so long. I thought I was never going to get through some parts!

The Best Thing About This Book:
The ending, the poetic justice, the character growth were all great.

Appropriate for a younger audience:
No

Score:

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 3/5

Setting/Imagery: 2/5

Originality: 4/5

Ending: 4/5

Total Score: 17/25

Read First:

Book Review: Porcelain by Jess C. Scott

Summary:

A collection of both new and previously published short stories, poems, sketches, and essays, by Jess C Scott. Porcelain offers a personal draft of the author's navigation through a world that is fantastical, offbeat, ironic, unexpected, and true.

CONTENTS: 20 short fiction, 50 poems, 10 excerpts/essays, 12 illustrations / ~40,000 words.

Review:

Those of you who know me know that I am no fan of short stories...I am all about the novels. I didn't think I liked poetry either, until I read E.J. Stevens' work (From the Shadows and Shadows of Myth and Legend), which I loved. So I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Porcelain when I started it.

I have to say that I've never read a book quite like Porcelain before. The combination of short stories, poems, book excerpts, essays and illustrations was a new venture for me. Being set in my ways, I have to constantly push myself to try new things. One thing that struck me is Scott's ability to change voices: her short stories are so unique and different from each other that it almost felt like I was reading the work of several authors. I think that this is a talent that will set her apart and become a defining trait.

Scott also includes some of her correspondence with publishing agents and a manifesto about independent versus traditional publishing. She has an anti-establishment bent that I (who would never dare to buck the system) can appreciate but could never relate to until reading her work. The publishing manifesto, I think, affected me the most, because it was so informative and made me look at the literary world in a totally new way.

This is exciting---how often do we get something for free? Visit Jess Scott's website and download the e-book, Porcelain, for free here.

Just One Gripe:
The four essays at the end of the book were essays Scott wrote for her college classes. While reading them left me with an appreciation of Scott's intelligence, it felt like schoolwork to me. They made the book's conclusion feel really drawn out and dry.

The Best Thing About This Book:
It is quirky and clever.

Appropriate for a younger audience:
Hmm, it's questionable...parents, read it first and then decide.

My score reflects my personal enjoyment of this book. I would probably feel much differently if I liked short stories more than I do. I'd love to know what you think---read the book for free and let me know!

Score: